bio

bigwhale is a party.  it's also the result of longtime friendships between four music veterans.  pete post, moe fougere, brent o’hara and neil kennedy have know each other for many years.  all four are seasoned pros and all four are having more fun playing now than they have in a long time.

pete, neil and brent first played together in The Foundation in the late eighties.  they played extensively both on their own and sharing the stage with The Tea Party, Wild T & The Spirit, Honeymoon Suite, Haywire, Gowan and other touring acts of the time.  the band released the “Hopscotch” EP in ‘92 and recorded “Green Walky Man” in ’95 just before they dissolved.  pete went on to form ‘bishop’ in 1996 and played with acts like Sass Jordan and Kim Mitchell among others.  bishop released a self-titled CD in ’97 and got national airplay on the CBC dramatic series “Black Harbour”.

moe has been playing for years and is one of the most sought after drummers in Moncton.  he’s toured with numerous acts including The Johnny Comfort Band and Chris Colepaugh and the Cosmic Crew.  he’s had more gigs than he’s known what to do with for years – both in the studio and on stage. 

right around 2001, when pete began work on his solo CD, he wanted to start with a solid rhythm section… moe and brent.  ‘Change’ was released in late 2003 featuring moe and brent on almost every track.

fast-forward to 2006.  pete, brent and moe decided to put together a band that could really entertain, really have a good time and do something different.  bigwhale’s unofficial band motto is ‘no idea is too stupid’ and the band’s bizarre and eclectic choice of music has become their calling card - creating an unmistakable style all their own.  no other band combines funk and disco with retro eighties, blues, soul and pop music.  you hear songs that no other band would even attempt to perform yet they’re catchy and familiar - instantly recognizable.  this band is a party waiting to happen.

in the spring of '08, pete was asked to write a song for Sean Collins, a Moncton boy who lost his battle with cancer.  the resulting song, run, was recorded by bigwhale, debuted at the cancer society's 'relay for life' in june and went on to garner massive local radio play and peak at #87 on the national adult contemporary chart.

it was during the recording of run that neil pitched in with some keyboard and loop parts.  in the shows that followed, he joined the band onstage to help fill out the sound and play run with the power evident in the studio recording.  he just never left, really.  now he adds that special ingredient to the mix that puts the live shows over the top.

known for their unbelievably energetic and long sets (they really don’t like taking breaks), bigwhale has been hard at work winning over audiences, packing dance floors and developing a loyal following.  they’ve been told that their sound and energy are larger than the sum of their parts.  they’ve also been told to come back… again and again, by every venue that books them.

bigwhale invites you to come see a show.  bring comfortable shoes, money for beer and a loud voice to sing along.